Support for oil thieves and other sampling devices



April 24, 1934.

c. F. HAMNER SUPPORT FOR OIL THIEVES AND OTHER SAMPLING DEVICES Filed May 16, 1932 FIG. 3.,

FIG. 1.

EJ512151 FHa'mE? Patented Apr. 24, 1934' UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR OIL THIEVES AND OTHER SAMPLING DEVICES Clyde F. Hamner,,0klah0ma City, 0kla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville,

0kla., a corporation Application May 16, 1932, Serial No. 611,701

5 Claims.

This invention relates to supports for sampling and testing instruments or devices, and more particularly to an adjustable platform within a container, such as an oil tank, for supporting an oil thief or the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a support so that drainage or drippings of the fluid from the oil thief or the like will take place wholly within the tank or similar container.

Another object is to provide such a support so located with respect to the tank or container that the fluid, usually, inflammable and frequently very damaging to objects in the vicinity of the tank, will not be blown about by the wind when the fluid is released from the oil thief.

Still another object is to provide such a support which will prevent fluid from being spilled upon the tank or container deck, since such spilled fluid, particularly oil, on the deck is often responsible for injuries due to falls, sustained by.

operators, and the spilled fluid detracts from the appearance of the container, may affect the exterior surface coating of the container, and presents a fire hazard.

Another object is to provide a substitute for the receptacles, such as the oil trays or basins, frequently found upon tank roofs or decks and provided as a rest for the oil thief. Such receptacles often become a catch all for swabs, rain water, oil and litter of all sorts.

Another object is to provide a platform to support an oil thief or the like, so located that the wind cannot blow against it and furthermore so positioned that the oil thief supported thereon is well protected from the wind, so that neither jarring nor swaying of the platform or oil thief will be apt to-occur when, for instance, taking a hydrometer reading. v

A further object is to provide such a device support which may be adjusted with respect to the thief hole of a tank so that it may occupy much or none of the space directly below said hole.

Another object is to provide such a device support so located with respectto the thief hole of a tank that an oil thief thereon will stand substantially vertical but will not be apt to be blown over even in a very strong wind and when not steadied by the gauger. Thus the gauger may step back, away'from the thief, while the pumper or switcher gets into a good position to take an accurate hydrometer. reading.

Another object is to provide, in a support device of this kind, means to quickly move a support portion of the device away from the thief hole,

so that the oil thief whenbeing raised will not catch upon the edge of the support portion.

Still another object is to provide a sturdy device of this kind, the cost of which will be low.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in Which drawing:--

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view thru a fragment of a container, showing the improved device support, in elevation, installed therein.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the container and improved device support shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the device support, parts being broken away to better illustrate details of the construction.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein simihole 14 surrounded on the exterior of the tank 10 by a preferably cylindrical collar or curbing 15, having an outwardly extending flange 16 at one end secured, by spaced apart bolts 17 and nuts 18 or the like, to the tank 10. Such thief holes are usually provided with hinged covers (not shown).

As for the improved device support B, the same includes a preferably disc-like platform or support member 20, of a circumference slightly less than the circumference of the thief hole 14. This platform -20 is carried within the tank 10 adjacent and below the thief hole 14 by means to move the platformin a horizontal plane to and from a device supporting position underneath the thief hole 14 or across the'vertical plane thereof. This means preferably includes an elongate shaft 21 welded or otherwise well secured to the upper face or surface of the'platform 20, close adjacent an edge thereof. This shaft 21 projects upwardly thru the tank 10 and extends without the tank. To accommodate the shaft 21, a bearing '22 isprovided which includes an elongate sleeve portion-23, shorter than the shaft 21, preferably exteriorly' screw threaded as at 24 at one end. The bearing 22 is deta'chably secured to the tank 10 by re-reaming', if'necessary, oneof the bolt h'oles in'each of-the tank 10 and flange 1'6 accommodating the bolts 17, so as to permit the sleeve portion 23 to snugly-fit and the other," the flange 16. Lock nuts 27 and 28 are threaded-upon -the'sleeve portion 23 and therein and encircling-the sleeve portion by apair of angle washers "25 and'26 one abutting the position, can be turned in all about 180 or enough abut the angle washers 25 and 26 as is well known and shown in Figure 3. This sleeve portion 23 extends both into and out of the tank, is substantially vertical and is preferably not secured to the platform 20, but is carried at its inner end 29 within a' packing gland 30 welded or otherwise secured to the platform and surrounding the shaft 21 as shown in Figure 3. Packing 31 in the gland prevents communication between the interior of the tank 10, thru the bore 32 of the sleeve portion 23, and the exterior of the tank. The shaft 21 extends upwardly thru the sleeve portion 23 and projects beyond the upper end 33 of the sleeve portion where it is screw threaded as at 34 so that a preferably elongate horizontally positioned handle 35 provided with a screw threaded bore 36 will be threaded upon the shaft 21 with lock nuts 37 and 38 on the shaft and on opposite sides of the handle 34. The lower lock nut 37 abuts the upper end 33 of the sleeve portion 23 and can rotate with the shaft on this end. All the parts of this device support are preferably of metal and while rugged and strong may be constructed at low cost.

The device C may be a conventional oil thief provided with an elongate frame 40 and a base 41.

The instrument D may be an ordinary hydrometer such as is employed to indicate the specific gravity of oil or the like and is inserted into the fluid within the oil thief C.

While the improved device support B is shown as secured to thesloping deck of a tank, it is apparent that it is as readily attachable to a flat roof and will there function as well.

Since the platform 20 has a circumference preferably slightly less than the circumference of the thief hole 14, it is readily inserted into the tank 10 thru the thief hole, and after one of the bolts and nuts 17 and 18 are removed, the free end of the sleeve portion 23 is inserted into the vacant bolt holes with the lower angle washer 25 and lower lock nut 2'7 in place on the sleeve portion. The upper angle washer 26 and lock nut 28 are then placed in position as shown in Figure 3 and the handle 35 together with the lock nuts 37 and 38 are threaded upon the shaft 21,,with all lock nuts well tightened.

By'utilizing the flange 16 as shown, the device support is carried not only by the top wall 12 of the tank 10 but by the flange 16 as well, thus reinforcing the top wall.

-From Figure 2, it can be seen that when the handle 35 is in the full line position shown, the platform 20 is directly underneath the thief hole 14 and lays across the greater part of the vertical plane of the hole. However, by swinging the handle thru approximately 180 the whole platform 20 will move to the position shown by dot and dash line and will not obstruct the hole at all. Of course, it is apparent that the platform 20 may be moved horizontally into varying positions underneath the hole 14 so while it will not obstruct the hole for inserting or withdrawing the oil thief or the like, yet there will be ample platform space to support the oil thief or the like.

The device support is adjustable, as is readily seen, so that the platform may be carried horizontally at different distances from the top wall 12 or mouth 14 of the tank 10.

Frequently the thief hole is quite close adjacent the side wall of a tank.- From Figure 2, which shows such a tank construction, it can be seen that the support device is so positioned that the handle 35 can be placed in a very convenient to provide a large available platform surface or so that the platform is wholly out of the way, and so that the platform is not interfered with by the side wall.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What. is claimed is:

1. In a device support for a container provided with a mouth in the top wall thereof, a horizon-. tally disposed platform within said container adjacent said mouth, a bearing detachably carried by the top wall of said container, a shaft rotatable in said bearing and extending into and out of said container with one end secured to the upper face of said platform adjacent an edge thereof, and means for adjusting the longitudinal movement of said shaft with respect to said bearing, whereby said platform may be moved into various horizontal planes underneath and away from said mouth.

2. In a device support for a container provided with a mouth, a support member below said mouth, means to move said support member to and from a device supporting position beneath said mouth and means to adjust said support in various selected horizontal planes and retain said support in any of sad selected horizontal planes for movement by said first named means.

3. In a device support for a container provided with an inlet, a platform below said inlet, a bearing fixedly secured to said container adjacent said inlet and opening into and outwardly of said container, said bearing including a rigid tube extending downwardly into said container and with its end adjacent said platform, a-nd means to move said platform to and from a device supporting position including a shaft fixedly secured at one end to said platform and extending thru said tube and projecting outwardly of said container.

4. In a device support for a container provided with an inlet, a platform below said inlet and provided with a packing gland projecting from its surface, a bearing carried by said container adjacent said inlet, including a tube extending downwardly into said container and outwardly therefrom and with its lower end within said gland, packing in contact with said gland and tube, a shaft fixedly secured at one end to said platform and extending thru said gland, packing and tube and projecting thru the outer end of said tube, a handle and means for retaining said handle on said shaft and resting in part upon the outer end of said tube.

5. In a device support for a container provided with an inlet, a platform below said inlet and provided with a packing gland projecting from its surface, a bearing carried by said container adjacent said inlet, including a tube extending downwardly into said container and outwardly therefrom and with its lower end within said gland, packing in contact with said gland and tube, a shaft fixedly secured at one end to sa d platform and extending thru said gland, packing and tube and projecting thru' the outer end of said tube, the projecting end of said shaft being screw threaded, a handle upon the screw threaded end of said shaft and handle retaining members'on said shaft in abutment with said handle, one of said members resting upon the outer end of said tube.

CLYDE F. HAMNER. 

